European expats in Malta demanding equal treatment have taken their fight to one of the vehicles of their frustration and posted banners on Arriva buses.
The group insists EU nationals are discriminated against by being charged between 35 and 60 per cent more than their Maltese neighbours for several services.
These include car registration, home loans, television and internet services and e-residence cards. But the hottest issues remained energy bills and bus fares.
We never thought it would come to this
From a class action lawsuit filed in December and a constitutional case filed in February, to a petition presented to the Prime Minister demanding equal treatment in May, the group has tried every possible means to draw the attention of the authorities.
They have now pasted their plea on to certain Arriva route buses, one of the main causes of their anger.
The fare controversy began in July 2011 when Arriva began operating and introduced a two-tier fare.
Under this system, passengers with official proof of residency are entitled to cheaper fares than those without.
This week, the ARMS Class Action Group launched an Up In ARMS poster campaign on Arriva buses servicing mainly the Sliema, St Julian’s and airport routes.
The posters read: Stop the discriminatory pricing for EU citizens in Malta. It adds the slogan Up in Arms, and an email address that can be used to help fund the campaign: armsclassaction@gmail.com
The banner includes a smart phone barcode, which when scanned directs the phone user to the online petition calling on the EU Commission to stop the alleged discrimination against EU nationals in Malta.
“We were absolutely being ignored in Malta and we never thought it would come to this,” spokeswoman Patricia Graham said.
The group plans to post the banner on some 20 buses, including in Gozo, and is looking into putting its appeal on billboards on the road leading away from Malta International Airport.
They are also thinking of paying for billboards in London, as the Maltese in England have given their full support.
Ms Graham said the group was considering spreading the appeal to other places abroad – mainly France and Germany.